Dirigible torpedo.



No. 767,491. PATENTEDYAUG. 16, 1904. 1). W. MoCAUGHE-Y.

DIRIGIBLE TORPEDO.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 20, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

IIIIIIIIILZ'IJIIIIIIIII PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904.

D. W. McGAUGHEY. DIRIGIBLE TORPEDO. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20. 1902. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

UNi-risn STATES Patented August 16, 1904 PATENT @rrrcra DIFHGIBLE TORPEDO= SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,491, dated .August 16, 1904.

Application filed March 20, 1902. Serial No. 99,116. (No model.)

To l w/wm, it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID WILEY Mo- CAUGHEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new -and useful Improvements in Dirigible Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of torpedoes which is provided with self-containedmechanism by which the movements thereof may' be controlled, and particularly to that class of torpedoes which is arranged to be con trolled-that is, moved in any desired directionby electrically-actuated mechanisms, all of which will more fully hereinafter appear.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a simple, economical, and eflicient electrically-controlled torpedo.

A further object of the invention is to provide a torpedo with electrically-actuated mechanisms connected with the shore-line with a single insulated wire and arranged and constructed in such a manner as to be operated, directed, and controlled from the shore by means of the electric current passing through said wire.

The invention consists, further and finally,

-in the features, combinations, and details these improvements.

of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

. In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showingmy improved controlling devices as they appear when used in connection with a torpedo. Fig. 2 isa plan sectional view of one form of torpedo as it appears when constructed in accordance with Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the same; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional detail of the upper. part of spool-holding rod shown in the lower part of Fig. 3, as will be more fully hereinafter explained. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of a reversible motorsuch as is used to turn the rudder.

In the art to which this invention relates it is Well,l nown that it is highly desirable to provide a means by which an explosive torpedo may be launched from the shore or from a vesseland directed toward a given mark and exploded by contact therewith or at any desired point adjacent thereto. To accomplish this result, various devices and expedients have i been used, some of which give more or less satisfaction and all of which contain objections which render their use somewhat undesirable. This invention, therefore, is designed principally to overcome as many objections of the prior art as possible and provide a simple, economical, and eflicient torpedo which may be controlled from theshore by the use of a sing]e'conducting-line, which conveys currents of various intensities to the mechanism and is arranged to operate the desired mechanism, and thereby direct and control the movements of the torpedo,as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

In Fig. 1, A is a dynamo generating a constant current.

B is a dynamo generating an alternating current.

C is an electric motor whose armature is connected, by means of worms and worm-wheels,

rection with a direct current and in the opposite direction with an inverse current.

The motor D is constructed in such a manner that its armature revolves in the same d-iwhile an alternating current is passing through it its armature cannot rotates} We Wlll now suppose the mechanism to'be in position represented in Fig. l. The rent will flow as fOllOWSiiIQEH dynamo'fi' i the dynamo B.

through wire 1, arm 2, button 8, wire 4, wire 5, arm 6, button 7, wire 8, motor 0, wire 9, motor D, wire to the water at 11, thence through the water and land to 12, thence to wire 13, button 1 1, arm 15, and wire 16back to the dynamo A. I choose to call this current the direct current. A continuous cur rent being generated byv A, both of the motors O and 1) will be operated. D will propel the torpedo forward. The armatureshaftof C is connected directly with the wormshaft 17, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) which operates the worm-wheel 18, (see Fig. 2.) and thereby which is fastened upon operates thescrew 19,

the same shaft as 18. The screw 19 works in the worm-wheel 20, and is aiiixed to the rudder-post 21. It is therefore apparent that by operation of the motor C the rudder 22, Fig. 3, will be turned to correspond with the motion of the worm-wheel 20. Now suppose the direct current will act upon the motor C in such a manner as to cause the rudder to turn from rightto left. Then an inverse current will cause the armature of C to rotate in the opposite direction-that is, in such a manner as to turn the rudder from left to right. To reverse the motion of the armature of O, the operator turns the reversing-switch E so that arm 15 comes in contact with button 23. The current will then fiow from dynamo A through wire 1, arm 2, button v14, wire 13 to the ground at 12, thence through the land and water to 11, then through wire 10, motor D, wire 9, motor (1, wire 8, button 7, arm 6, wire 5 to button 23, thence through arm 15 and Wire 16 back to the dynamo A, and the armature of C will now rotate in the opposite direction from that first above described, thereby turning the rudder 22 in the opposite direction from that first above described. D, "however, is constructed in such a manner that the direction of rotation of its armature is not altered. by reversing the current. The torpedo will therefore still be propelled forward, as before.

Now suppose it is desirable to propel the boat forward without moving the rudder in either direction. The operator therefore cuts out of circuit the continuous current and cuts into circuit the alternating current. This is done by moving the cut-out switch F so that arm 25 comes in contact with button 7 An alternating current will then flow from dynamo B through wire 26, arm 25, button 7, wire 8, motor C, wire 9, motor D, wire 10 to the Water at 11, thence through the water and land to 27, thence through wire 28 back to Inasmuch as the motor C is constructed in such a manner that its armature cannot rotate with an alternating current, the current last above described will pass through the motor C without afiecting the position of rudder 22, while the torpedo will stili be propelled forward, inasmuch as the l l l l button 30, with the brush 31,, and thence the current is conducted to the motors, so that as the torpedo is moved out there will be little or no drag of wire. either upon a pointed pivot or ball-bearings, so as to cause as little friction as possible, and should be inclosed in a funnel-like apartment The spool G is worked 10, Figs. 2 and 3, with an opening at 32 sutficient to allow the wire 8 to pass,which opening should be well back the torpedo in order to facilitate the unwinding of the spool Gr. It should be understood, however, that the spool maybe placed on the land and the wire be paid out automatically as, the torpedo is directed or controlled.

Reversible motors are well known and in common use. In Fig. 5, however, I have illustrated diagrammatically a reversiblemo tor mechanism, including a switch 130 such as I employ and which may be said to constitute a portion of such motor mechanism.

I will now describe the manner of reversing the motion of the armature of the motor C. (See Fig. 1.)

In Fig. 5, C is a diagrammatic illustration of motor C as described in connection with Fig. 1 and which is used to turn the rudder in the desired direction, as hereinbefore described.

In Fig. 5, is a soft-iron wire-wound magnet, and 101 is a permanently-magnetized portion of a pivoted armature-bar 102, energized and placed adjacent to such magnet in such a manner that the pole nearest the magnet will be attracted thereby whenever the magnet is energized by a direct current.

When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 5, with electric current flowing from dy namo A (see Fig. 1) through wire 8 (see Fig. 1) around magnet 101 will be attracted and drawn down into contact with magnet 100, as shown, in Fig. 5. The current will then flow from magnet 100 through wire 10 1, thence through pivoted armature bar 102 to contact post 105 and through the same, thence through contactspring 106, thence through wire 107 and around field-magnet 108, energizing it, thence through wire 109 and around field-magnet 110, energizing same, thence through wire 111, contact-spring 112, post 113, post 11-1, spring 115, wire 116 to and around armaturemagnets 117, energizing same, thence through wire 9 to motor I), and thence through wire 10 back to dynamo A, (see Fig. 1,) as hereinbefore described.

toward the stern of The armature and field magnets of motor are wound in such a manner as to cause armature 117 to revolve in a given direction--that is, in such a direction as to cause the rudder to turn from right to leftwhen said motor C is operated by a direct current. Now if it is desired to turn said rudder from .left to right the operator turns the reversing-switch E (see Fig. 1) so that arm comes into contact with button 23, Fig. 1. The current will now flow through wire 8 in an opposite direction to that last described,'and hence will fiow around magnet 100 in such a direction as to cause it to repel armature-bar 101 until armature-bar 102 impinges against pin 127 in which position posts 118, 123, and 124 will be in contact with springs 119, 122, and 125, respectively, and contact between posts 105, 113, and 114 and springs 106, 112, and 115, respectively, will be broken. The current will now flow from dynamo A, through wire 9,

Figs. 1 and 5,thence around armature-magnets 117, energizing same, thence through wire 116, wire 126,spring 125,metallically-connccted posts 124 and 123, spring 122, wire 1.21,

versal of current.

wire 107, thence around field-magnet 108, energizingsame, thence through wire 109,thence around magnet 110, energizing same, thence through wire 111 and 120 to spring 119,thence through post 118, bar 122, wire 104, magnet 100, energizing same, as hereinbefore described, thence through wire 8 and back to the dynamo A in manner hereinbefore described It will be seen that the inverse current passes around the armatures 117 in an opposite direction to the direct current, the result being that the respective poles of theannature-magnets 117 will be reversed with re- It is also apparent that the direct current and inverse currents will flow around field-magnets 108 and 110 in the same direction and that therefore the polarity of the field-magnets will remain the same no matter whether a direct or inverse current be.-used, the result being that the direction of the motion of the armatures 117 will be reversed when the direction of the actuation-current is reversed, 'as hereinbefore suggested. Posts 105 and 118, Fig. 5, are so adjusted-with reference to springs 106 and 119, respectively, that while magnet 101 is moving between magnet 100 and pin 127, as hereinbeforedescribed,

there is an instant of time when each of said posts is in contact with its respective spring, and in like manner there is an instant of time when posts "113 and 114 are in contact with springs 112 and 115, respectively, and posts "123 and 124 will respectively also be in contact with springs 122 and 125. These periods of double contact, however, last but for an instant, for when movable armature-bar 102 comes to rest, either by impinging upon. pin

127 or by magnet 101 impinging against mag: net 100,'thcre' will befa contact between the respective posts and springs on one side only of movable bar 102. Posts 113 and 114 and posts 123 and 124 are respectively insulated from bar 102.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a reversible motor C, (shown in Fig. 1,) including the switch mechanism by means of which the direction of rotation of such motor is l e-versed and which switch mechanism may therefore be said to be an essential part of an ordinary reversible-motor mechanism. It will be understood, of course, that this or any ordinary and wellknown form of reversible motor and switch mechanism may be employed.

When an alternating current is used, the armature of C will not rotate, because before the direct current has time to overcome the inertia of the armature 117 and start it rotating in one direction an inverse current will act upon it and tend with exactly equal force to cause it to rotate in an opposite direction, and these opposing forces will be brought into action in such rapid succession that the armature will remain balanced and stationary in whatever position it happens to be in when the alternating current is switched into circuitthat is, when dynamo B, Fig. 1, is in operation. Motor D, however, will operate with either a constant or alternating current, because it is wound in theordinary manner, so that the currents flowing around its field and armature magnets will always be corre-' spondingly and simultaneously altered and re-- versed, no switch mechanism, such as 130, being used in connection therewith, the resultant effect being the same as though the actuating-current had not been reversed. Motor D is not a peculiar type, but the ordinary type of electric motors.

I claim- 1. In a torpedo of the class described, the combination of propelling mechanism, rudder mechanism, an electric motor connected with the propelling mechanism and arranged to be operated by either continuous or alternating currents, an electric motor connected'with the rudder mechanism, a single line-wireconnecting such motors with the shore, a continuouscurrent generator, an alternating current generator, and a switch for cutting either of such motors into or out of the single-line circuit, substantially as described. s

2. In a torpedo of the class described, the combination of propelling mechanism, rudder mechanism, an electric motorconnected with the propelling mechanism constructed to operate in one direction only and by either a continuous or an alternating current, a second motor connected with the rudder mechanism and constructed to be operated by a continuous current only, a single line gyire connecting both of such motors with the shore, a continuous-current generator, an alternating-currentgenerator. and a switch for cutting either of such motors into or out of circuit with the single linewire, substantially as described. v

3. In a torpedo of the class described, the combination of propelling mechanism, rudder mechanism, an electric motor connected With the propelling mechanism and constructed to run in one direction only and by either a continuous or an alternating current, a second motor connected with the rudder mechanism constructed to be rotated by a continuous current only and be reversed as the direction of such current is reversed, a single line-Wire for electrically connecting both of such motors with the shore, a; continuous-current generator, an alternating-current generator, switch mechanism for cutting either of such motors into or out of the single-line circuit, and a reversing-switch connecting the continuous-cur- .rent generator With-the single-line circuit for reversing the connection between such line and circuit, substantially as described.

DAVID WILEY MCCAUGHEY.

Witnesses: v

THOMAS F. SHERIDAN, HARRY I. CROMER. 

